diff --git a/lib/mu-maildir.cc b/lib/mu-maildir.cc
index 1b191768..1045ca1b 100644
--- a/lib/mu-maildir.cc
+++ b/lib/mu-maildir.cc
@@ -147,7 +147,8 @@ check_subdir(const std::string& src, bool& in_cur)
 }
 
 static Mu::Result<std::string>
-get_target_fullpath(const std::string& src, const std::string& targetpath)
+get_target_fullpath(const std::string& src, const std::string& targetpath,
+		    bool unique_names)
 {
 	bool in_cur{};
 	if (auto&& res = check_subdir(src, in_cur); !res)
@@ -159,21 +160,30 @@ get_target_fullpath(const std::string& src, const std::string& targetpath)
 	 * including a hash of the srcname in the targetname. This helps if
 	 * there are copies of a message (which all have the same basename)
 	 */
-	auto targetfullpath = format("%s%c%s%c%u_%s",
-				     targetpath.c_str(),
-				     G_DIR_SEPARATOR, in_cur ? "cur" : "new",
-				     G_DIR_SEPARATOR,
-				     g_str_hash(src.c_str()),
-				     srcfile);
+	std::string fulltargetpath;
+	if (unique_names)
+		fulltargetpath = format("%s%c%s%c%u_%s",
+				    targetpath.c_str(),
+				    G_DIR_SEPARATOR, in_cur ? "cur" : "new",
+				    G_DIR_SEPARATOR,
+				    g_str_hash(src.c_str()),
+				    srcfile);
+	else
+		fulltargetpath = format("%s%c%s%c%s",
+				    targetpath.c_str(),
+				    G_DIR_SEPARATOR, in_cur ? "cur" : "new",
+				    G_DIR_SEPARATOR,
+				    srcfile);
 	g_free(srcfile);
 
-	return targetfullpath;
+	return fulltargetpath;
 }
 
 Result<void>
-Mu::maildir_link(const std::string& src, const std::string& targetpath)
+Mu::maildir_link(const std::string& src, const std::string& targetpath,
+		 bool unique_names)
 {
-	auto path_res{get_target_fullpath(src, targetpath)};
+	auto path_res{get_target_fullpath(src, targetpath, unique_names)};
 	if (!path_res)
 		return Err(std::move(path_res.error()));
 
diff --git a/lib/mu-maildir.hh b/lib/mu-maildir.hh
index f4f38d36..7976b04b 100644
--- a/lib/mu-maildir.hh
+++ b/lib/mu-maildir.hh
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ namespace Mu {
  * @return a valid result (!!result) or an Error
  */
 Result<void> maildir_mkdir(const std::string& path, mode_t mode=0700,
-			      bool noindex=false);
+			   bool noindex=false);
 
 /**
  * Create a symbolic link to a mail message
@@ -57,10 +57,13 @@ Result<void> maildir_mkdir(const std::string& path, mode_t mode=0700,
  * @param targetpath the path to the target maildir; ie., *not*
  * MyMaildir/cur, but just MyMaildir/. The function will figure out
  * the correct subdir then.
+ * @param unique_names whether to create unique names; should be true unless
+ * for tests.
  *
  * @return a valid result (!!result) or an Error
  */
-Result<void> maildir_link(const std::string& src, const std::string& targetpath);
+Result<void> maildir_link(const std::string& src, const std::string& targetpath,
+			  bool unique_names=true);
 
 /**
  * Recursively delete all the symbolic links in a directory tree
diff --git a/lib/tests/test-mu-maildir.cc b/lib/tests/test-mu-maildir.cc
index 364e9cdd..c8f06903 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test-mu-maildir.cc
+++ b/lib/tests/test-mu-maildir.cc
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <vector>
+#include <fstream>
 
 #include "test-mu-common.hh"
 #include "mu-maildir.hh"
@@ -454,6 +455,47 @@ test_maildir_from_path(void)
 	}
 }
 
+static void
+test_maildir_link()
+{
+	TempDir tmpdir{false};
+
+	g_message("%s", tmpdir.path().c_str());
+
+	g_assert_true(!!maildir_mkdir(tmpdir.path() + "/foo"));
+	g_assert_true(!!maildir_mkdir(tmpdir.path() + "/bar"));
+
+	const auto srcpath1 = tmpdir.path() + "/foo/cur/msg1";
+	const auto srcpath2 = tmpdir.path() + "/foo/new/msg2";
+
+	{
+		std::ofstream stream(srcpath1);
+		stream.write("cur", 3);
+		g_assert_true(stream.good());
+		stream.close();
+	}
+
+	{
+		std::ofstream stream(srcpath2);
+		stream.write("new", 3);
+		g_assert_true(stream.good());
+		stream.close();
+	}
+
+	g_assert_true(!!maildir_link(srcpath1, tmpdir.path() + "/bar", false));
+	g_assert_true(!!maildir_link(srcpath2, tmpdir.path() + "/bar", false));
+
+	const auto dstpath1 = tmpdir.path() + "/bar/cur/msg1";
+	const auto dstpath2 = tmpdir.path() + "/bar/new/msg2";
+
+	g_assert_true(g_access(dstpath1.c_str(), F_OK) == 0);
+	g_assert_true(g_access(dstpath2.c_str(), F_OK) == 0);
+
+	g_assert_true(!!maildir_clear_links(tmpdir.path() + "/bar"));
+	g_assert_false(g_access(dstpath1.c_str(), F_OK) == 0);
+	g_assert_false(g_access(dstpath2.c_str(), F_OK) == 0);
+}
+
 int
 main(int argc, char* argv[])
 {
@@ -479,11 +521,7 @@ main(int argc, char* argv[])
 	g_test_add_func("/mu-maildir/mu-maildir-from-path",
 			test_maildir_from_path);
 
-	g_log_set_handler(
-	    NULL,
-	    (GLogLevelFlags)(G_LOG_LEVEL_MASK | G_LOG_FLAG_FATAL | G_LOG_FLAG_RECURSION),
-	    (GLogFunc)black_hole,
-	    NULL);
+	g_test_add_func("/mu-maildir/mu-maildir-link", test_maildir_link);
 
 	return g_test_run();
 }